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Rid Yourself of Spyware

Spyware can infest your computer without your knowledge or any action on your part. It can come from websites you visit, from programs and freebies you download, and from email you open. If you have been on the internet, chances are you have spyware on your computer.

Spyware is different from viruses, but can be almost as harmful. (We surely don't need to tell you to keep your antivirus program updated and always on guard, do we?)

Spyware does all sorts of mischief. It can change your start page in your browser. It can feed you ads. It can record your internet surfing and report back to its maker. It can extract confidential information from your computer and aid in identity theft. It can drop in a backdoor to your computer that someone can exploit. It can log keystrokes.

It can call 900 numbers and have the charges put on your phone bill.

It can hijack your search bar, so when you go to search you are taken to an unfamiliar searchbar. It can put websites on your Favorites list.

It can slow down your computer, and often render it unuseable. It can interfere with other programs and ultimately prevent you from connecting to the internet. It can make even the fastest computer run like molasses.

There are more than 78,000 spyware and adware programs out there on the internet. If you don't regularly check for spyware and get rid of it, you probably have your share.

So how do you protect yourself?

First of all, be judicious in the sites you visit and what you download. When installing a program (freebie, demo, or low cost program), watch the installation carefully and see what it is installing. Be on the lookout for pre-checked choices. Also watch to see if it is automatically putting you on a mailing list, or if you are giving your consent to receive "special offers" or "notice of related products."

Before we start ridding you of spyware, it would be good to look at what is running on your computer. Press Control-Alt-Delete, Task Manager, and write down what is running in the background. Much of this is vital, but some of it is probably spyware or other programs you don't need running in the background all the time. For now, just write down what's there.

Next, run a Spyware checker. We recommend three. Two are shareware for home use. You can donate if you use them.. The shareware programs are - Spybot Search and Destroy from http://www.safer-networking.org and AdAware from http://www.lavasoft.com. The other is Webroot's Spy Sweeper from http://www.webroot.com. It costs about $29 but you can get a trial copy.

Spybot Search and Destroy checks for spyware, and will immunize your computer against many known threats. First, download and install the software. Then open the program and immediately tell it to check for updates. After it installs the updates, tell it to check your computer.

AdAware finds different spyware. Again, download it, check for updates, then run a complete scan. Delete all spyware that it finds.

And finally, Spy Sweeper is the only program we know that will remove PS Guard spyware. Each of the three programs has different strengths and weaknesses.

Run the spyware checkers about once a week and delete spyware.

After you delete the infestations, go one step further. Down at the lower left corner of your screen, go to Start / Run. Type in "msconfig" without the quotes. Then click on the startup tab. Everything that is checked is starting up every time you turn on your computer. If you don't want all these programs to run in the background, uncheck them. Anything with the name ad or searchbar or weatherbug or comet cursor in it is a good thing to uncheck. Here's where you need to know what's vital and what's not. You'll want to leave everything to do with your antivirus software checked.

Everything that runs in the background takes up a little RAM memory and slows down your computer. By unchecking everything that's not necessary, you'll speed up your computer. Many legitimate software programs insert themselves into system startup, and you don't really need them running all the time.

There are other spyware and adware detection programs. Some are free and some are not. We've told you about one we like. Whatever you use, be aware of spyware.

In really bad cases, you may need a professional to complete the job. There are complicated situations that we cannot cover here. More thorough instructions can be found at http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407